Kentucky Sheriff Shows No Emotion During Arraignment for Judge Shooting

A Kentucky sheriff accused of fatally shooting a district judge spoke multiple times but did not appear to show much emotion during his arraignment in Carter County on Wednesday.
Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, 43, is charged with one count of first-degree murder for allegedly shooting and killing 54-year-old District Judge Kevin Mullins inside the Letcher County Courthouse on Thursday.
Chief Regional Judge Rupert Wilhoit presided over the 11 a.m. proceeding in Carter County, which is over 100 miles away from where Stines is being held in Leslie County.
Stines appeared virtually from the Leslie County Detention Center. He wore a prison uniform as he stood in between public defender Josh Miller and Leslie County Jailer Danny Clark.
Miller entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Stines.
The prosecution questioned why Miller was present when his office his not officially been appointed to represent Stines.
“I don’t know that he has any reason to be here as in an official capacity as an attorney,” Commonwealth Attorney Jackie Steele said.
Miller argued that the cost of defending a case where Stines will be eligible for the death penalty if convicted will exceed his means.
“It’s my understanding that he’s in the process of losing his job as the sheriff of Letcher County, obviously, and will not have income going forward,” Miller said. “His family is not prepared for this eventuality and again, I think the cost of defending one of these cases can reach well into the several hundred thousand dollars.”
Stines replied “yes, sir” and “no, sir” to several questions asked by the judge. He also answered questions about his legal representation and financial situation.
Wilhoit appointed the public defender’s office to represent Stines at his next appearance, but he advised Stines that he may need to hire his own counsel as the case proceeds.
Stines will appear at the Morgan County Judicial Center on October 1 at 1 p.m. for a preliminary hearing.
The arraignment comes days after hundreds of mourners gathered at a local high school auditorium to pay their respects to Mullins. Judges from across the state spoke at the funeral.
“His passion for people was his magic touch. He can’t begin to count the number of lives that he saved or improved,” state Supreme Court Judge Debra Lambert said. “Our court family aches at his loss.”
Lambert served on the state Judicial Commission on Mental Health with Mullins.
District Judge J. Foster Cotthoff said Mullins “worked tirelessly” and was dedicated to finding treatment for individuals addicted to opioids.
“He saw the good in people even when they didn’t see it themselves,” Cotthoff said.
Mullins’ obituary said he impacted over 20,000 people by pioneering “a local protocol focused on linking people to treatment services early in their involvement with the justice system, leading a transformative shift in how justice could support recovery.”
Mullins was a judge in the 47th Judicial District. He was appointed in 2009 by former Gov. Steve Beshear. He was then elected to the position the following year.
“Sadly, I have been informed that a district judge in Letcher County was shot and killed in his chambers this afternoon. There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on X following the shooting.
The motive for the shooting has not been revealed yet.
Stines gave a deposition on Monday in a lawsuit where he is named as a defendant. The lawsuit filed in 2022 by Sabrina Adkins alleges that Stines failed to train one of his deputies properly. Adkins claims that Deputy Ben Fields forced her to engage in unwanted sexual acts in Mullins’ chamber.
The lawsuit does not indicate that Mullins had knowledge of the alleged incident.
The suit was put on hold following the shooting.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact [email protected]